The period of four weeks before Christmas is called Advent. It is a period of anticipation and hope. In today’s culture it is a busy time, filled with shopping and socializing. However, in ages past, it was a quiet and sacred time of prayer and waiting… anticipating the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflecting on the birth of Jesus, we look with hope to our salvation. Jesus was born of Mary. He became man to redeem us. By the cross, we are saved from our sins and have the hope of eternal life. What a tremendous mystery! How can a little baby be both human and divine?
The omnipotence of God is shown by his humbling himself and becoming a man. His humble beginnings, being born in a manger, tells us of his connection to the poor and lowly. He was not the type of king the Jewish people were expecting. The kingdom of God is an important thing to reflect on during the Christmas Season. Are we trying to follow the teachings of Jesus…to love not only our neighbor but our enemies? Are we helping the poor and downtrodden?
God is love. When we look at a little baby it is easy to define love. However, we need to be loving our neighbor at all times. Celebrating the incarnation (God becoming Man) this year, let’s try not to lose sight of the spiritual nature of Christmas. Waiting helps us to slow down. Hopefully, we will be spending time in prayer… sharing with God our hopes, difficulties, fears and love.
A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul.
The Feast Day of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is celebrated on November 27.
The Miraculous Medal was the result of visions which occurred to St. Catherine Laboure’. She was born in 1806 in Paris, France. After having a dream about St. Vincent de Paul, she joined the Daughters of Charity which was founded by him. She is known as a Marian visionary because of the apparitions which she reported appearing to her.
On July 18, the first apparition occurred. Catherine saw a lady seated in the sanctuary. She approached her and was instructed how she was to act during times of trial, pointing to the altar for consolation. Mary told her,
“Sorrows will come upon France; the throne will be overthrown.”
A week later the French revolution began in Paris.
On Nov. 27, the lady showed St. Catherine the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, now known as the “Miraculous Medal” . She gave Catherine the mission of having the medal made and to spread devotion to it.
Catherine reported the visions to her spiritual director, Father Aladal. Forty five years later, she spoke fully to her supervisors about the apparitions.
The miraculous medal which Mary showed to Catherine was oval showing Mary standing on a globe crushing the head of the serpent. (the devil). Around the image of Mary were the words
“O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”
Mary’s hands were showering a cascade of brilliant rays upon the world.
On the reverse side of the medal was a cross, the symbol of Christ’s redeeming Sacrifice on Mount Calvary for the salvation of the world. The cross was intertwined with the letter “M”.
The “M” stands for both Mary and for Mother and was to be surrounded by twelve stars. The two hearts are the Sacred Heart of Jesus encircled by a crown of thorns and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, pierced by a sword. The Flames symbolize the burning love of Jesus and Mother Mary.
Mary told Catherine,
“All who wear them will receive great graces.”
After two years of investigation Father Aladal went to the archbishop with the request. The request was approved.
At Catherine’s death, on December 31, 1876, at the age of 70, few people knew of her visions. She preferred a silent life, spending her time caring for the aged and sick.
The first two-thousand medals were delivered on June 30, 1832. The spread of the Medal was almost like a miracle in itself. The first supply disappeared quickly. Pope Gregory XVI put one of them at the foot of the crucifix on his desk. By 1836 several million medals had been made. The stories of the cures and wonders of the medal helped to spread its use far and wide.
The Miraculous Medal is considered a sacramental. Sacramentals lead a person to prayer which opens the person to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Sacramentals can be material things such as blessed objects, such as scapulars, rosaries, crucifixes, medals, or Holy Water. It can also be actions such as the Sign of the Cross, genuflection, and prayer.
The following explanation of sacramentals is from the Catholic Catechism.
1667 “Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy.”17
1670 Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. “For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God.”176
Most Holy Virgin Mary…
Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit,
Lily of purity, Rose of patience,
Paradise of delight, Mirror of chastity,
Model of innocence…intercede
for this poor banished pilgrim.
Quote of St. Peter of Alcantara; Feast Day October 19
The feast day of the Presentation of Mary is celebrated on November 21.
The feast day of the Presentation of Mary originated in Jerusalem in 543. The story appears in the Protoevangelium of James which is an extra biblical document. St. Joachim and St. Anne, the parents of Mary, in gratitude for having a child after many years of infertility, presented Mary to God at the temple in Jerusalem when she was three years old.
The feast day emphasizes the purity of Mary from the moment her life began. Mary is considered a temple in which God dwells in a special way.
The feast day also remembers all the people who have dedicated themselves to God in a contemplative order.
Through Thee…the faithful have received baptism;
churches have been erected in all parts of the earth.
By Thine assistance the Gentiles have been brought to repentance.
And finally through Thee, the only Son of God, source of light,
I try to make the serenity prayer a daily prayer. Often, it helps me to get through the most difficult moments of my life. When life is out of control, this prayer reminds me that I am not supposed to be in control of everything, only God is! I am a very visual person. When I say a prayer I often have pictures to meditate on in my mind. One day as I was praying the serenity prayer I realized my definition of serenity was wrong!
I have always considered serenity as complete calm. While praying this prayer I was picturing a calm lake on a sunny day. It was so calm there were no whitecaps on the water. It was so calm if I was on a sailboat, I would not be able to sail due to lack of wind. I was stuck! This is not serenity! We need movement in our lives! Without progress we stagnate and then we seem to go backwards or become lost.
When I am the opposite of serene, I am frantic and in a panic. This frame of mind makes it impossible to make rational decisions. I finally realized that serenity is being able to make decisions while we are in the eye of a storm! While I prefer a sunny day on the lake, I always want there to be a breeze so the sailboat I am in will actually go where I direct it.
Serenity is being calm enough during the storm to know which ropes to pull to keep the boat from turning over!
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace
Taking, as He did, this world as it is,
Not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him,
Forever in the next.
The feast day of St. Albert the Great is celebrated on November 15. He is the patron saint of scientists and philosophers.
St. Albert the Great was born in Germany. After experiencing an encounter with the Virgin Mary he was inspired to join the Dominican Order also known as the Order of Preachers.
St. Albert was well educated and respected for his knowledge of science and theology, He received his doctorate from the University of Paris in 1245. He studied and commented on the works of Aristotle. Eventually, he became a professor of theology the the University of Paris. He became bishop of Regenburg in 1260. Because he refused to ride a horse and traveled entirely by foot he became known as “boots the bishop”). St. Thomas Aquinas was one of his students, later becoming a good friend.
St. Albert was a prolific writer. His writings are compiled in 38 volumes. He wrote about many subjects including philosophy, geography, astronomy, law and love.
St. Albert became well known as a mediator of disputes. He became ill and died on November 15, 1280.
St. Albert was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1931 and declared a Doctor of the Church.
Three years after his death his body was discovered to be incorrupt. However, when his grave was opened centuries later, only a skeleton was found. His relics are found in St. Andreas Church in Cologne.
The feast day of St. Laurence O”Toole is celebrated on November 14. He is the patron saint of the archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland.
St. Laurence was born in County Kildare, Ireland. At the age of ten, Laurence became a hostage of Dermod Mac Murchad, King of Leinster. The king gave him permission, when he was twelve, to enter the monastic school of Glendalough, where he studied for thirteen years. When he was only 25 years old, he became the abbot of the Abby of St. Kevin in 1150. He governed the monastery with virtue and prudence.
In 1162, St. Laurence was unanimously chosen as the Archbishop of Dublin. As Archbishop he focused on the reformation of the clergy. He spent much time in prayer, fasted often and prayed for those who had died. He was known for feeding the hungry and aiding the homeless.
St. Laurence participated in the Lateran Council which was held in 1179 by Pope Alexander III. He died in 1180 at the age of 52. Miracles were recorded after his death at his tomb. He was canonized by Pope Honorius III in 1226.
St. Elizabeth is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. She is a relative of the Virgin Mary and the wife of Zachariah. Elizabeth was considered barren due to old age. However, the Archangel Gabrielappeared to Zachariah while he was at the temple. He told him not to be afraid, that he was to have a son and was to name him John. Zachariah questioned the angel and the angel said he would be mute because of his doubt.
Elizabeth was six months pregnant when Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, came to visit her. It is Elizabeth you greeted Mary by saying,
“Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”
When her son was born Zachariah asked for a tablet and wrote
“His name is John”.
Immediately, he was able to speak again. Their son was John the Baptist. St. John the Baptist and Jesus are considered cousins.
“When a nation lacks saints,
darkness invades people’s minds.”
Quote of Bl. Bronislaw Markiewiez; Poland, (1842-1912)
The feast day of All Souls’ Day is celebrated on November 2. It is always celebrated the day after All Saint’s Day which is celebrated November 1.
The Church devotes the month of November to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
To understand the doctrine of purgatory, it is necessary to understand several beliefs of the catholic church.
It is good to pray for the dead
We believe in tradition
Nothing unclean may enter heaven
Praying for the dead is a tradition which precedes the New Testament. In 2 Maccabees 23:45-46 it says:
“But if he was looking to the splendid reward that was laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.“
Before we can enter into the presence of God in heaven we must be cleansed and purified. This process is known as purgatory. The bible teaches us that it is good to pray for the dead. Praying for those souls who are in the purification process in purgatory relieves the suffering of both the soul in purgatory and my own soul.
Many of the Saints had devotions of praying for the holy souls in purgatory. St. Gertrude the Great, St. Padre Pio and St. Margaret Mary are well known for their devotion to helping the souls in purgatory through prayer.
The Catholic Church believes in the power of prayer. When we pray for some one else this is called intercessory prayer. We ask the saints in heaven to pray for us on our journey. (The saints are interceding for us.) We also pray to Our Lord to guide those we love and hasten the journey of those who have died and are entering heaven. (We are interceding for the souls in purgatory.)
We believe that the more souls who are praying the better! The following prayer is a popular prayer asking for mercy for those who have died.
“Eternal Father, I offer thee the most precious Blood of thy divine son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”
The Solemnity of All Saints Day is also known as All Hallows Eve. It is celebrated on November 1 by Western Christianity. It honors all souls who have arrived in heaven. Many countries celebrate it as a national holiday. It is followed by All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2 in which Catholics pray for those still on their journey to heaven. This journey is known as purgatory. Catholics believe that life is a spiritual pilgrimage. Death is the beginning of our journey through purgatory to heaven. Purgatory is where a soul is prepared and purified to enter heaven.
A Saint is a person whose soul has arrived in its’ eternal home…heaven. The journey to heaven is not easy! We ask for the prayers of those in heaven to aid us on our journey to heaven.
True learning consists in the science of the saints: that is to say…..
